Asta's Sick Day
by FanficDetective
Summary: Asta is sick! But, he is so stubborn that he's in denial over it. Now, the Black Bulls have one goal: keep Asta the hell down! Will Asta be able to get better or will his overactive mind be too much for the guild to handle? (Head-canon: This takes place before Asta broke his arms. Also, this is mostly based on the anime, not the manga.)
1. Chapter 1: Asta's Terrible Cold

**_Asta's Sick Day_**

by FanficDetective

_Chapter 1:_

_Asta's Terrible Cold_

Something was wrong with Asta; Gordon knew that instinctively. He's been observing Asta from a distance. He even wrote down all the habits and routines, and he knew that he kept by it every day, not wavering in the slightest. In that, Asta was almost a perfectionist. He would keep at his skills until he got it right and he wouldn't give up.

With that said, Asta was different today, and Gordon was going to tell the others…if they would hear him. He tried telling Magna, he tried telling Luck, even tried telling Yami, but none of them seemed to hear him. It also looked like no one noticed how different Asta was today.

On the surface, Asta looked just fine. He was talking to everybody like normal, did his training, and his chores. It was _how_ he did it that concerned Gordon. First, Asta awoke later than usual—by ten minutes! Usually, since this was Asta, he would be rushing and yelling at himself. Instead, he yawned stretched and went about his day as if nothing happened. Second, Asta was slower with his training. With each swing of his sword, he was one second off. And with his sit-ups, he was off by three seconds! Thirdly, his chores. He reluctantly did it without saying a word, just a big smile on his face. This, of course, was absurd. Asta would've been yelling, complaining some, and getting it done as fast and as efficiently as he could. Fourthly and lastly, the way Asta talked. He seemed to be cooler instead of the fiery tempered, laughing and daring buddy Gordon knew. He talked in short sentences like, "Yes…Okay…Hmm…Cool…" And again, that big grin! That grin, without his fiery determination, seemed so fake in Gordon's eyes. It was too mellow for him to believe; a bit too calm. The grin without the usual energy was like a person without a partner. Gordon could empathize and relate. It seemed so lonely…so lonely…

He got himself together. He didn't have time to feel sorry for himself. He had to warn them! He opened his mouth to speak—

"Atchoo!"

The Black Bulls looked at Asta as he rubbed his nose. Gordon sighed. NOW maybe they would notice something's wrong! He sneezed, which never happened before. Another oddity to put on the list, Gordon thought.

"Looks like someone is talking about you!" he nudged Asta.

"It's probably Sister Lily," beamed Asta, his eyes sparkling at the possibility of marrying her one day.

"She's a NUN, you know," Noelle sighed, placing her hand on her cheek with a bored stare. "A woman of the cloth? She constantly rejected you and pointed out the age differences!"

Asta was going to respond, but ended up closing his mouth. Yami raised an eyebrow, as did Gordon. To Gordon's relief, he wasn't the only one who noticed the quick twitch of Asta's left eye. Yami notices things like that. As soon as he sees something strange, he stays aware of it, while showing no signs of concern. Luck, Noelle and Maga waited for Asta's response. But, to their surprise, he turned on his heel and covered his nose and mouth with both of his hands. His cheeks were turning red and tiny specs of tears were on the tips of his eyes.

"Hey, hey! There's no need to be embarrassed!" Magna called.

"We can fight it off!" Luck said with a wild look on his face. This comment earned a strict look by Magna. "Come on, let's go outside and fight!"

"Uhm," Asta stammered. He quickened his pace away from the Black Bulls, earning questionable looks from the guild. "N-no! It's f-f-fine! I, ah, need to go f-find something. I, er, uh, bye!"

With that, Asta ran off. It was fast and left behind dust clouds, making Yami grimace and Gordon make another note in his list of 'Things Wrong with Asta'. The floor wasn't swept right; it's NEVER that way! Vanessa coughed as she awoke from her drunken nap.

"Alright, who the hell made Asta cry?" she asked.

Noelle blushed a deep red. "What?! I didn't make him cry!"

"You saw the tears in his eyes, Noelle," Magna said, lowering his sunglasses.

Grey puffed in agreement, earning another shocked look from Noelle. She defended herself, "I was only pointing out the truth! He's going to have to come to terms with it sometime!"

"Wait a moment," Finral said, trying his hardest to stop the impending fight that was coming. "We don't know for sure that Asta was crying because of what Noelle said."

"Stop worrying, dumbasses."

Everyone turned to their captain, who took the cigarette from his mouth and sighed. He shrugged, "I'm sure he wasn't crying. Something else set him off. Just give him time."

Everyone calmed down, except for Gordon. He had to know what was wrong with Asta. Unfortunately, Yami had one of those scary looks, so he had to obey. He hoped in his mind that he was alright.

Yami walked up the stairs to Asta's bedroom. He hoped that this was the right way, unless the guild hall had changed again. It was a pain in the ass, but it was something he could live with. As long as Finral could transport him to the right room when he didn't feel like searching for it, it was alright.

He stopped and turned around at the closed door he passed. Oops, there was Asta's room. He would've passed it without knowing it if not for the noise that was beside it. It sounded muffled, as if someone were trying hard to suppress their voice. He walked back and pressed his ear to the door. The voice was definitely Asta's and it did sound like he was sobbing. Yami put that possibility out of his mind and try to decipher what he was hearing. Then, it clicked as it became louder.

"Hetchoo! Hatchoo! Ah…Ah…AH-CHOO!"

Yami backed his head away from the door and gave a small "tsk!" to himself. Although he didn't say anything, he heard all that Gordon said. He just didn't want him to continually stalk Asta just to see if he was alright. That would be annoying as hell. Besides, he was going to talk to him. He knocked on the door. He heard a bunch of fumbling and one cough before Asta opened the door. Yami was surprised to see that Asta was wearily looking up at him. His eyes were slightly sunken in, his nose and cheeks were still pink, tears were forming around the corners of his bright green eyes and his hair (which was usually curled upwards) was curved downwards. He gave a sniffle and stood up straight confidently, or it would've been straight if Asta hadn't nearly fumbled backwards.

He wobblily caught his footing and said, "Captain Yami, sir!"

Yami puffed out some smoke before putting the cigarette back in his mouth. He cut to the quick, "You're sick."

Asta looked shocked, then angered, and he raised his fist in protest. "I'M NOT SICK!" He was going to say more, but coughs overcame him and he had to cover his mouth with the crook of his elbow.

"Yes, you are," Yami said and he invited himself into Asta's room. For the most part, it was clean. What wasn't clean was the waste basket, which was full of tissues. Yami raised an eyebrow, "Then what is that?"

"Oh, that!" Asta rubbed the back of his head. "It just kind of built up."

"You took it out yesterday," Yami said. "And you took it out this morning."

"D-Did I?" chuckled Asta nervously. Beads of sweat were beginning to form on his head and he shrugged. "I'll just take it out again. Can't be too clean."

"Asta…" Yami warned. Asta froze as the scary face stretched across his captain's features. "Tell me the truth. Are you sick?"

"No, I'm not," defended Asta stubbornly. "I am not…I'm not…"

Asta stopped and Yami knew why. Asta's body shivered, his nostrils flared and he scrunched his nose to try to hold back the impending sneeze. His eyes closed, letting the tears that were stuck flow down his cheeks, and his breath began to hitch. Yami took that as his chance. As Asta's breath grew, so much so that it was making the young boy sway, Yami took the almost empty tissue box that was left beside the bed. Then, he waited.

"HATCHOO!"

Yami smirked and Asta rubbed his teary eyes. He looked at his own nose, then up at his captain. He could already guess what Yami was up to and he braced himself for his inevitable doom. He chuckled and said, "Can I have that back, please?"

"Here's the deal, Snot-Face," said the captain, trying hard not to laugh his ass off. "All you have to do is accept my help. You don't have to say you're sick. We'll let my methods do the talking. Accept it, and you'll get your tissue box back. If not, you'll have to find another way to get that snot off of your face."

Asta, at first, didn't make a move. He was flustered for sure and he wanted badly to get revenge. However, with this blatant blackmail, he sighed and gave in. As soon as the tissue box was in his hand, he took one out and sneezed loudly. Yami felt Asta's forehead and he shook his head.

"You're burning," he said. "You need to lie down."

"But the training—" whimpered Asta. He coughed harshly in his sleeve. "I have to keep going. I cannot give up."

"There's giving up and then there's being a dumbass," Yami replied. "Lie down or I'll kill you. You'll probably need three days, depending on how much you rest."

"Who's going to do the chores?" Asta asked.

"I'll have Finral do it," said Yami. "It's been a while since he's done anything. Now stop your worrying and—"

Before Yami could finish, he saw Asta's eyes droop and his knees give way. He quickly caught Asta and placed him on the bed gently. Asta shivered in his sleep and Yami covered him up with one blanket. With how high his fever must've been, he didn't want to make it worse. He left Asta on the bed, looked back, and then went back to the other Black Bulls. They were huddled together in gossip over how Noelle made Asta cry, while Noelle herself kept herself in a corner, feeling guilty and in denial over it. Charmy brought up ideas on how to cheer him up, Magna and Finral suggested leaving the guy alone, and Luck suggested punching him. Grey practically agreed with everything, except for Luck's idea, and Gauche didn't know what to do. Gordon was trying to talk to them, but was left unheard.

When they heard Yami come down the stairs, all of them looked at him to see if he knew what was wrong with Asta. Their captain replied as cool as cucumber, "Cool down, everyone. Staring at me is getting awkward…Asta's sick, possibly a bad cold. He has a fever and needs some rest. However, as we all know, he is restless and stubborn. So, we're going to take turns watching him until he gets better."

Gordon and Noelle smiled with the same thought, "See, I told you so! Wait, Asta's sick?!"


	2. Chapter 2: Noelle's Turn

**_Asta's Sick Day_**

by FanficDetective

_Chapter 2:_

_Noelle's Turn_

Asta was shivering under the blankets with a cool cloth over his forehead. Noelle sighed. What was that idiot thinking running around sick? She was about to grab the cloth from Asta's forehead to dip it into the cool bowl of water next to her when she noticed him opening his emerald eyes. She felt her breath leave her. He looked so vulnerable, so pitiful…so idiotic! She forced her care away as she huffed and grabbed the cloth from Asta's head. He slowly smiled.

"Noelle," he said hoarsely.

"What is it?" she said roughly.

"Your hair…" Asta said dumbly. His sleepy gaze scanned her and he smirked. "Your eyes…"

"What about it?" asked Noelle. She was starting to get nervous and she nearly screamed when he sat up suddenly with his arms wide. "What are you doing?!"

"Marry me!" cried Asta.

Ten minutes later, Yami came up the stairs to check on Noelle and Asta, only to be greeted to a bunch of yelling and battering noises from the other side of the door. He opened it and shouted, "What the hell is going on here?!"

"This pervert is trying to make me marry him!" Noelle cried. She was running around the room with Asta following behind her. He was begging for her to marry him and she couldn't land a single attack to stop him. Either she missed and got one part of the room wet or she did hit him and he just wouldn't stay down. He was like a zombie, a very stubborn zombie. "Stop him!"

Yami did the only thing he knew that would work. He hit Asta over the head, making him pass out. This time, the boy stayed down and Noelle breathed a big sigh of relief. Yami rubbed his reddened fist, "He's still burning up. He was probably delusional from fever. Put him back into bed and get that fever down."

"Y-yes sir!" Noelle exclaimed.

As she continued to take care of Asta, strange thoughts began to take form in her head. Even though he was sick as a dog, he also seemed relatively at peace. The way his chest rose up and down, how his fevered blush made him look cute despite his illness, his muscular arms—Noelle shook her head. She wondered if she was getting sick too, since she never had these thoughts before. She was not in love with him; she refused to be in love with him; she won't be in love with him! At the same time, it was kind of charming to hear that he wanted to marry her. He just went about it in a terrifying way. She was starting to feel more compassionate towards him when one name came out of his lips.

"Lilly…Sister Lilly…"

Oh, so that's why he said it. He wasn't asking her to marry him, he was asking Sister Lilly to marry him. Well, good! It's better off that way, since she wasn't in love with him and she was going to make sure of that. She didn't know why, but she felt like slugging him right there. However, it would be bad on her conscience if she injured an ill person. She'll take care of him a little while longer until it is someone else's turn. She'll watch him rest those emerald eyes.


	3. Chapter 3: Magna and Luck's Turn

**_Asta's Sick Day_**

by FanficDetective

_Chapter 3:_

_Magna and Luck's Turn_

"But I wanna go outside!"

Magna blocked the door leading to the outside for what seemed like the hundredth time. Ever since Asta's high fever had gone down, he was starting to get restless, as Yami predicted. Asta was the type of person to not let a simple cold get in the way, even if that cold gave them body aches, a low-grade fever and the sniffles. Not to mention that he was still contagious and could easily spread his germs to someone else. But with someone as stubborn as Asta, that thought doesn't usually come. Asta was standing in front of Magna now, swaying sleepily and sniffling through a stuffed-up nose. Just looking at him made Magna feel both grossed out and sorry for the little guy.

"Yami said for you to stay inside and stay in bed until you are better," Magna said.

"Come ooonnn!" Asta whined. "Pleeeaaassseee? I'm so boooorrreeddd!"

Magna sighed. This was going to be a long day. He called for Luck to help him get the brat to bed. Luck obliged, asking if they could fight later. Magna agreed on the condition that they do it outside and not in Asta's room where he would get caught in the fray. Luck grabbed Asta's arms and the sick boy immediately started struggling.

"Please? Just for a little while?" Asta said. "I promise I won't stay out there long. Please?"

"For the last time, brat, no!" Magna shouted.

"Why not?" asked Luck. "Isn't sunshine good for someone who's sick?"

Asta grinned and nodded rapidly, then he regretted it. The nodding gave him a headache. Magna shook his head, "Sure, sun could help, but only through a window of a room! Running around would not be good for him. You know how energetic and hyper he is!"

"Maybe a good fight would cheer him up!" smiled Luck.

"Did you not hear what I said?" Magna argued. "His body needs to heal up and punching him won't do a damn thing but make him worse!"

Luck nodded, "Oh, okay. So, when he gets better…?"

"Then, you can fight him," Magna said.

Luck smile gleamed with mischief, while Asta continued to struggle. He refused to give up; he can't give up! He will not succumb to the illness he was under and he will not be brought down by the tiredness in his body. He had to fight!

"Magna," said Asta, his voice hoarse from the illness. "I promise you; it'll only be for a few minutes! Luck, let me go!"

"Nope," Luck chuckled. "Gotta wait!"

Magna and Luck had to force Asta to get back into his own room and when they finally cast the boy inside, Magna closed the door with a slam before Asta could leap out. They could hear him moaning, begging, promising and coughing from the other side of the door. Magna turned to Luck, sweat pouring from his face and he straightened his sunglasses, which were titled due to the scuffle they had to go through in order to defeat Asta.

"Man, the bastard just doesn't give up," panted Magna. "I wouldn't mind, if he wasn't sick and getting snot everywhere."

Luck stared at the door, tilting his head a little and then turned towards his companion. He asked simply, "Hey, Magna…Did you lock the window?"

"…Shit…"

Magna and Luck ran out of the guild to find Asta making a beeline away from the Black Bulls. They immediately chased him, all the while they could hear their bothersome patience announcing, along with a few coughs, "FREEDOM! FREEEEEDOOOOMMM!"

An hour later, the Black Bulls found Magna carrying a beaten and worn Asta in his arms along with an energetic Luck skipping behind him. As for Magna himself, he looked like he's been through a lot. His hair was messy, his clothes torn and dirty, and his glasses were broken.

"You got your fight after all, Luck," he grumbled.

"Yes, it was fun! You nailed him!" laughed Luck.

"What did you do to him?" Noelle asked. "You were supposed to take care of him, not knock him senseless!"

"He wouldn't stop running!" Magna defended. "And don't ask about where we've been and why it took so long. It's been already a long day!"

"Really? It went by short," Luck said honestly, which earned a death-glare from Magna. "Anyway, we looked after him all this morning. Who's taking the afternoon shift?"

"I will!" said Charmy. "Then, Gauche has the night shift. Unless Noelle wants to do it again?"

"N-n-no!" Noelle dismissed with a blush on her face. "It's Gauche's turn, so I won't interfere."

Meanwhile, Gauche was watching in a far corner holding a picture of his sister in his hands. When he heard his name being called and what they wanted him to do, he shuttered. He was a germaphobe, but since Asta has helped the Black Bulls lately, he figured he might as well repay it. As long as the germ-carrier didn't give him his disease before he meets Marie, and as long as he _stays away_ from Marie, he didn't mind.

Magna gave a sigh of relief, "Thank you. I need a break."

Charmy used her cotton magic to call her sheep and they immediately went into the kitchen. Then, with one sheep taking Asta out of Magna's hands, Charmy accepted her role as a nurse.


	4. Chapter 4: Gauche and Charmy's Turn

**_Asta's Sick Day_**

by FanficDetective

_Chapter 4:_

_Gauche and Charmy's Turn_

Even though it was Gauche's turn, Charmy decided to lend in a hand as the new "nurse of the Black Bulls!". She always wanted to try this outfit and she was glad for the occasion. As Asta laid in his bed, his eyes were glued on Charmy's nurse costume. She was holding soup in one hand and a spoon in the other. Nurse Charmy was adorable. It was another moment to add in the list of Charmy's costumes.

"Open wide!" she said cheerfully.

"Mmph…" Asta closed his mouth in a pout. "I'm not hungry."

"But it's chicken-noodle soup and it'll help you feel better," Charmy said. Then, to Asta's horror, her lip trembled. "Also, my sheep worked really, really hard on it. Can you at least give it a try, please?"

"Okay, I'll try it!" Asta exclaimed. He wouldn't dare make Charmy cry. That would be a fate worse than death.

"Thank you!" Charmy beamed, her tears fading away as if they never existed. "Now say 'aaahh'…"

Asta complied and let the spoon enter his mouth. He flinched a little; it was too hot and he could already feel his tongue numbing from the burn. However, he was strong. He was determined to keep Charmy's smile no matter what the cost. Tears threatened to come to his eyes.

"Not yet!" he thought. After he swallowed it down—in which he immediately thought "Ouch!"—he gave a grin to his nurse. "Great as ever, Charmy."

A big smile stretched across her face and she continued to feed him. Thankfully, the soup had cooled down and so Asta didn't have to experience that pain again. Gauche had his eyes on the sick patient and on his picture of his sister. If Asta got him sick, he swore that he would burn the little germ to a crisp, down to the smallest spec of ash that's left of his corpse.

After Asta finished his soup, he asked if he could go outside. Charmy shook her head and before Asta could protest, he was in a soft, wool blanket and pillow. His eyes got very heavy as the sheep, who had him in its arms, rocked him to sleep. Asta had no idea how to feel about this. He wasn't a baby and he was perfectly fine to sleep on his own if he wanted to. But this was oddly comforting and his body couldn't resist the warmth of the soft animal.

"This is how you calm down someone younger than you," she instructed the audience—being us, including the writer of this tale. "Just get a giant sheep, sing a lullaby, and they'll go right to sleep. When they wake up, they'll be in a better mood."

"I don't know if that's how it works," said Gauche. "And who are you talking to?"

By that time, Charmy was already singing a soft lullaby to Asta, who was deep asleep. He looked very relaxed and peaceful, if only his snoring was too. Gauche put his picture of Marie in his pocket and covered his ears in annoyance.

"Do you have anything that could shut him up?" he asked Charmy.

"What?" Charmy asked. She had cotton wool in her ears and she was innocently unaware of the unholy sounds that were coming out of Asta's mouth.

"Nevermind..." Gauche said and he grabbed a handful of the sheep's wool to put in his ears.

Later that day, Gauche was watching Asta sleep. Yami had told the Black Bulls to keep a close eye on Asta, lest he escape and make himself worse. He's seen what Manga and Luck had to go through, so he did not want to take any chances. He noticed the anti-bird sitting at the windowsill looking down at the snoring boy. It's cold, hostile gaze made Gauche not want to look at it and he wondered if Asta was going to have a rude awakening from it. Knowing that it always seems to peck him, Gauche was ready to defend him as best as he could. After all, if Asta was going to be pecked to death, let him recover first.

As soon as Asta snored again, the bird irritably ruffled its feathers and flew away. Good, that was one obstacle out of the way, Gauche thought. He thought for a moment that the bird was going to attack him. Then, he noticed the feather's floating down. One of the feathers managed to float towards Asta and land onto his nose. Asta winched.

"Ah…Ah…"

Gauche backed away from Asta and hid behind one of his mirrors. He muttered, "Oh no you don't." His germaphobia was blaring and he could imagine the tiny little monsters clawing up toward him and ready to attack his body. He waited for the inevitable.

"ACHOO!"

What Gauche did not expect was the force of Asta's sneeze. It knocked him and his mirror down, along with the bedsheets. He was thankful that the mirror did not break, but he was disgusted that germs were on it now and that he would have to clean it.

"Asta!" he scolded. "You should cover your mouth when you sneeze! Don't you have the common courtesy to keep your germs to yourself? No only is it beyond gross, it is inconsiderate!"

The boy did not hear him. He was already back to sleep, shivering without the bed covers. Gauche looked at the covers, then at him, and then at his own hands. He shook his head, "Oh hell no. I am not touching that infected, snot-coated blanket! Let him freeze." He pulled out the rubber gloves out of his pocket, along with a cloth, and started cleaning his mirror while Asta shivered in his bed, sneezing and coughing pitifully. Gauche wasn't going to do it. He was going to see Marie and if he's sick, he wouldn't be able to see her for a long time. He couldn't live that way. What if he got her sick too? No brother should ever feel that guilt. However, he also thought about what Yami would say about disobeying his orders. Somehow, Yami's face was scarier than the germs.

Shrugging in defeat, he picked up the blanket, careful to only touch it with his rubber-gloved hands, and placed it over the patient. Asta's body calmed down and he had a look of content in his sleep. Gauche smiled; maybe this wasn't so bad after all. Asta gave the Black Bulls motivation when they were down, helped fight against the Eye of the Midnight Sun, and he was always there to lend a hand. It felt good to do something back for him—until Asta unconsciously coughed directly into his face. His fear of germs kicked in and he ran out of Asta's room, giving the rest of the job back to Charmy. She watched as Gauche made a quick retreat and smiled. He really did care for the little guy. It's just that he is protective of Marie. She opened the door to Asta's room and continued to care for him throughout the afternoon.


	5. Chapter 5: Finral and Vanessa's Turn

**_Asta's Sick Day_**

by FanficDetective

_Chapter 5:_

_Finral and Vanessa's Turn_

Finral sighed as he opened up another portal. It was his turn, along with Vanessa, to keep Asta in his room. After the patient woke up from his ong nap, he had claimed to be well and tried to charge out of the guild. Finral would've believed him, if not for the boy's hoarse voice and constant sniffles. He certainly regained some of his energy, but after the twentieth time of placing him back into his room, Asta gave up and fell onto his bed.

"I'm…fine…now…" he panted. "No need to…watch me…anymore…"

"Sorry Asta, Yami's orders," Finral said. "You must stay in this room until you are better."

He was both relieved and concerned that Asta quit so soon. The poor guy really was sick and he dreaded the days ahead. What if Asta was sick for the whole week? He shuttered. The Black Bulls would be utterly exhausted. Trying to chase down their sick friend for a day and a half was draining enough. It seemed like this day was the longest day they have ever had. It was ironic; they were able to hold themselves together through tough times, yet it was Asta's illness that finally drove them to weakness.

As Asta groaned in disappointment, Vanessa handed him a bottle of alcohol. She smirked, "This is what I use when I'm sick. It makes me feel better."

"Oh, really?" Asta asked innocently.

"You'll get sick drinking too much of that stuff!" Finral yelled and he teleported the bottle away before Asta could bring the bottle to his lips. "Besides, you drink it everyday Vanessa. Need I remind you that he's only fifteen? He's not of legal age. Don't influence him!"

"Hhmph, you're no fun," pouted Vanessa, who was clearly drunk.

"Ugh," Asta rubbed his sore head. "This is so damn annoying."

"I know," Vanessa said. "But hey, at least you get to relax and sleep all day. I would give for that right now."

The very thought of lying down all day made Asta's eyes widen in horror. He wanted—no—he needed to train! He cannot lie down on his bed. It's already been too long for him. He attempted to get up, only to have his legs give away and he fell back onto the cozy mattress. Vanessa laughed, thinking that the way he immediately failed in the attempt to escape was absolutely comical. Then again, it was probably the booze. Finral gave a stern (but compassionate) look at Asta, who stared back wearily and defeated.

"Do you see now why you can't train?" asked Finral. "You wouldn't make it five seconds with that low energy. And—hey! Don't give me that look!" Asta's eyes had the pitiful look of a hurt puppy and Vanessa couldn't help aweing at the sight. Finral had to look away to make his verdict. "You're not coming out of this room and that's final."

Asta looked away and then went back into his covers. He hid in his blankets and shivered. Vanessa rubbed his shoulder sympathetically. She said, "Poor boy, did mean-ol' Finral make you upset?"

"Mean?! Old?!" Finral exclaimed. "Are you here to help me or not?!"

"I'm kiddin', I'm kiddin'," Vanessa waved her hand. "Finral is right though. We have to lay down the law here. We care about you and don't want you to get worse. Also, we don't want you spreading this to the whole Clover kingdom as well. I mean, Magna and Luck already had to chase you down anyway. Hopefully, there wasn't some poor brat who shook hands with you—" Asta muffled something underneath the blankets. "Excuse me?"

Asta's head popped from under the blankets, his messy and curly hair almost covering his green eyes. Without his bandana, his unkept hair looked rather cute for someone like him. Vanessa thought that Noelle would freak if she saw this. Asta moved his messy locks away, revealing his teary eyes and pink nose and cheeks.

"I don't see how I could've gotten sick," he said. "I train hard and I eat right. I don't get it."

"Maybe it was when you went with Noelle to train," said Finral. "It was cold out and you got drenched."

"Oh…yeah…" Asta's face became redder at the memory. He remembered how cold the water was and how much Noelle apologized.

"On the same day, you came across a few people. So, I imagine that with the cool weather and through contact with someone else, you might have picked up the germ that way," Finral reasoned logically.

Asta fell back onto his pillow. How could he have been so stupid and unlucky? He felt Vanessa touch his head and then flinch away.

"Bad news, Fin," she said. "He's feverish again."

"No…" groaned Asta.

"Let me go get the thermometer," said Finral and he left the room.

Vanessa was now stuck with Asta. He practically had given up escaping. He knew that no matter what he tried, they would catch him. Vanessa's magic would wrap around him in seconds and he had no energy to fight. With nothing else to do, he stared at the ceiling, his mind blank with the acceptance that he was sick and had to stay in bed. Vanessa frowned.

"I miss the feisty side of him," she thought. "That soulless look is creeping me out."

Vanessa poked at Asta's cheek and he looked over to her, his eyes bored and expression blank.

"Come on, give me a smile," she said cheerfully. "It's not like you to not mock fate with a grin."

"I don't think I'm in the mood to mock fate—achoo!" Asta sneezed, turning his head away from Vanessa. "You should leave me in here. I don't want to spread this to you guys. It's bad."

"Don't say that!" the witch exclaimed. "We're the Black Bulls. We stick together like family. If you need us, you can count on us to be with you. That's friendship!"

"That was the cheesiest thing I've heard from you…" Finral came back into the room with a thermometer in his hand. "What a clichéd speech."

"Go to hell!" Vanessa angrily growled. "I just thought I would give him some encouragement. Cut me a break!"

"I'm kiddin'," Finral said, repeating what the witch said earlier and making her more annoyed with him. "Anyway, I got it. Open your mouth, Asta."

The sickly Black Bull let Finral take his temperature and, thankfully, it wasn't too high. It was a slight fever this time and it would go down in a couple of hours if Asta kept hydrated. As Asta lied in his bed, he thought about all the Black Bulls and how they have been watching over him. He felt like a total wimp being held down like this; he wanted to be better than this! Right now, he's just a load of trouble. He could take care of himself! They didn't need to trouble themselves over him and worry about him. It was just a cold! He sighed, feeling so useless and a bother to those around him. However, at least he could say that his friends cared for him and somehow that made him feel a little better about this situation.

He closed his weary eyes and went to sleep again.


	6. Chapter 6: Three Surprise Visitors

**_Asta's Sick Day_**

by FanficDetective

_Chapter 6:_

_Three Suprise Visitors_

Asta coughed for what seemed like the hundredth time that today. It was miserable; when was he going to get better? He sank lower into his bedsheets, sniffling and letting his head rest against his pillow. He reached for the tissue box to find another tissue to fix his runny nose and looked inside. He ran out, again. He was about to get out of bed to go get some more, when a hand reached out to him another box. He blinked and looked up. A haunted-looking figure, tall and very skinny, looked down at him with his long blue hair.

"Asta…" said the visitor. "You…didn't…visit…"

"I know, I'm sorry Henry," said Asta. "Thanks for the tissues."

"You're feeling…unwell?" asked Henry.

"I know, weird huh?" Asta sighed. "It sucks."

"It doesn't have to be that bad," Henry said. "You…got…me…"

Asta gave Henry a weary—but genuine—smile. Yes, he remembered when he first heard about Henry from Captain Yami. He discovered him alone in a secret room and decided to be his friend. He always saw Henry in his bed, looking miserable and lonely. However, the Black Bull always brightened up when he came by to visit. Now, the roles have reversed. Asta was the one in bed and Henry was coming over to visit him.

"Do…you…need…anything…else?" asked Henry.

"Not really," said Asta.

"Want me to stay by you for a while to talk?"

"…Sure. I…I would actually like that…" Asta admitted.

Minutes passed by as Asta told Henry of the adventures he had with the Black Bulls. Henry listened on with interest. He wished that he could go on such journeys with the rest of the guild, but since he sucks away magic, he was stuck wandering through the building like a phantom. So, hearing all that Asta had to say made up for the time he felt he had lost. When Asta went into a coughing fit, Henry stood back a little, observing his weak friend.

"Sorry," croaked Asta. "You might want to stay over there. This cold is so bad and I don't want you to get it."

Henry paused; the odd character stood there in a silence. Then, he said with a small smile, "That's almost like what I tried to tell Yami, but he wouldn't leave me. Even though I take magic in order to live, he continued to visit me. I suppose…that's what family is for. Family sticks up for one another…or they're supposed to…Anyway, the Black Bulls have shown me that friend are definitely part of family and…I felt like I belonged…So…don't think you're a bother…okay? You're not…you're family…"

Asta sat up, surprised that Henry was able to read his emotions so clearly. Was it that obvious? Before Asta could say his appreciation though, there came a knock at the door. Henry, unable to think of a plan, used his magic to rearrange the guild. There was a great tremble as rooms moved and the knocking was cut short. Henry waved to Asta calmly as he opened the door. There was no one there; just an empty hallway. Henry ran as fast as he could as Asta waved back. He could hear Manga shouting swears that the rooms have moved again and he started to laugh, which was rudely interrupted by a tickle in his throat.

Later that evening, the same knock returned and Asta called with a hoarse voice for the person to come in. He was in for another surprise. It was Gray: the huge guy with the smoke coming out of the mouth. He couldn't recall ever seeing Gray in his/her true form and he hoped to see it some time soon.

"Hey!" smiled Asta. "How are you doing, Gray?"

"…"

Gray walked in and, after a puff of smoke, gave Asta an envelope. Then, Gray walked out of the room, closing the door gently. Although it was an awkward experience, Asta understood that Gray didn't talk much and opened the letter. It was a few simple words, but it warmed his heart.

"Get better soon, okay? Everyone is waiting for you :)

-Gray"

He chuckled at the sight of Gray's smiley face and placed the letter beside him. There came another knock at the door and Gordon came in with a bunch of books in his hands. Startled, Asta asked what he was doing.

"I thought you would get bored, so I brought these," said Gordon. "I didn't know what kind of topic you would like. I just chose from what I observed from you."

"Eh…Thanks," Asta said grinning nervously. The thought of Gordon watching him from afar made him feel paranoid. He took one of the books. He wasn't much of a book reader, except when it had to do with cool things like legends, magic, and the Wizard King. Oh, and if it had pictures, he would get interested. He was relieved (and kind of scared for his privacy) to find that Gordon predicted exactly the kind of stories he liked. The book he was holding in his hand was a variety of legends and tales. "This is awesome!"

"I'm glad you like it," said Gordon, clearly pleased at his work. "These books are due in a week, so I hope you'll be able to read most of them."

"Are you kidding? I thought I was going to die from boredom!" Asta said. "I got a bunch of time to kill. Thanks, Gordon!"

"It's no problem…" Gordon watched as Asta began to read. He decided to spend his time reading as well. He had one book in his hands and it was about making friends. He kept glancing up at the sick boy while he was reading. The book said that friends tend to care for one another and therefore have each other's back. Gordon felt relieved; there was a chance that he could have friendship with him. He said to himself, "Get better, Asta."

"What was that?" asked the boy.

"Oh, nothing," said Gordon. "I was just thinking aloud."

Asta went back to reading and Gordon slowly inched closer to him. Soon, they were reading side by side, both absorbed in the words. Gordon was sitting on the edge of the bed, while Asta stayed snug in his covers. Then, not long after the shy Black Bull moved to Asta's side, he heard the sound of snoring. Asta had fallen asleep. He carefully took the book the boy was reading out of his hands and placed them in the pile of books in the corner of the room. When he was done, Gordon continued to watch his friend as time passed on.


	7. Chapter 7: A Short Perspective from Yami

**_Asta's Sick Day_**

by FanficDetective

_Chapter 7:_

_A Short Perspective from Yami_

"Tsk!"

Yami looked down at the sleeping Black Bull. It took a while for Gordon to get out of the way, but Yami managed to convince him that Asta was going to be fine. He smoked his cigarette and let the smoke pour out of his mouth. Asta has been sleeping for hours now. It was in the dead of night and everyone else was asleep.

"Damn kid," he thought. "You really got yourself ill."

Asta stirred in his sleep and rolled onto his side. His snoring had calmed down and now he slept soundlessly under the covers. He could see his light grey hair poofing out from the sheets and his flushed face was barely visible. He looked so weak, but Yami could tell that Asta was fighting back. He would not be sick long.

Yami puffed his cigarette smoke into the air. Then, he noticed the smoke coming down towards Asta's face. The boy coughed in his sleep and gave a small sneeze before his body relaxed.

"Sorry," Yami murmured quietly.

As if in response, Asta gave an innocent grin and laughed in his sleep. Yami wondered what he could be dreaming. Was it a fever dream? Yami could only guess what Asta's hallucinations could be and none of those thoughts were pretty.

"D…Da….d…" Asta said dumbly.

Yami raised an eyebrow. He must've been thinking about his father at the church. No doubt, Asta was having dreams of his family.

"S…Si…Sister Lilly…Marry…me…"

Yami shook his head and smiled. Yep, he was dreaming about his old home.

"Y…Yuno?" Asta smile turned to a frown. "Yu…no…"

The Black Bulls Captain watched Asta closely. Suddenly, Asta seemed distressed.

"Yuno…Yuno!"

The boy began to struggle in his blankets. He looked afraid and, to Yami's surprise, he was crying. Yami tried to nudge Asta awake, but the boy wouldn't wake up. With a sigh, he waited for him to wake up. Usually, when someone is in a nightmare, waking them up by force is not a good idea. The person dreaming would either become frightened further or see you as an attacker. It was best to let nature take its course. Yami watched as Asta awoke with a scream. He finished his cigarette and waited for Asta to calm down. The boy was in a cold sweat, his muscles tense and his eyes wide with fear. Then, gradually, he relaxed and let his head rest on his pillow again.

"Nightmare, huh?" asked Yami.

Asta nodded.

"Care to talk about it?"

Asta shuddered and brought his blankets tighter around him. He said, "I would but…I don't remember what it was…"

"Hhmph…" Yami lit another cigarette and placed it in his mouth. "Then, I guess it was worth forgetting."

Asta grinned and let his eyes shut again. He wondered what the dream he had was. It was strange that he couldn't remember it. Although, he couldn't help but feel a slight discomfort with the color pink now. Before he had a chance to realize it, he was back asleep, dreaming again.

Yami sat on a stool next to the bed. He smiled as he puffed smoke out of his mouth. Yes, Asta was a good kid. He was glad that he was in the Black Bulls. However, the little bastard better get better soon. Things were not the same without him.

After all, Finral couldn't do half of the chores better than he can.


	8. Chapter 8: Asta the Nurse

**_Asta's Sick Day_**

by FanficDetective

_Chapter 8:_

_Asta the Nurse_

Asta awoke and took in a deep breath. It was morning and no one was in the room with him. The only sign that someone was here was an ashtray with a lone cigarette on the floor. Asta stretched and came to a wonderful discovery.

"I'M CURED!"

He ran out of the room as quick as Luck's lightning. He was excited to tell everyone the good news. Now, he would be able to train again. He could do as many sit ups, pull ups, and run as many laps as he wanted. He practically flew down the stairs and he struck the landing as he raised his fists in the air.

"I'M CURED!" he shouted. "Thanks to you guys, I'm-"

He stopped when he noticed the rest of the Black Bulls. All except Gauche, Luck and Gray looked like they hadn't had a peaceful night's sleep. They were flushed in the face, including Noelle, who was groaning and holding an icepack to her head. Gordon was asleep on a table where Gauche was, making the poor germaphobe freak out. Vanessa was also asleep, with an empty tissue box and an empty bottle in her arms. Gray hummed and patted Finral's back. He looked the most miserable with shiny eyes and a feverish blush on his face. Charmy was wearing a mask to cover her mouth, looking as happy as ever, but slower than usual. Magna, with his unkept hair in his face and glasses tilted some, slammed his fist on the table with an angry glare.

"You got us sick, dumbass!" he shouted, then coughed violently in his fist.

"Oh, geez!" Asta shouted. "I'm sorry!"

"You better be," sniffled Finral. "Apparently, we are not the only people who've caught your cold."

"Huh?" Asta titled his head.

"Remember when you ran out of our guild?" Magna said, holding a rolled-up newspaper. "Well, check the news."

Magna tossed the paper into Asta's direction. It was a weak throw and the boy barely caught it before it reached the ground. Asta opened it up and his jaw dropped when he saw the headline: "Epidemic Hits Fiore!" Asta guiltily rolled the paper back up to face the death glares of Noelle and Magna. Luck stared laughing.

"Even while sick, you're trouble!" he said.

"I'm sorry!" Asta said. "I promise I will make up for it. I promise!"

"How do you make up spreading germs?" Gauche shivered. "I'm surrounded. I'm in a warzone. For the love of all things holy, if you want to help, get some masks for these carriers of death."

"We don't have the plague…" Noelle commented sharply.

"It might as well be!" Gauche screamed and he retreated to the outside world.

"Ugh…what a drama queen…" Noelle sighed and she sneezed before resting her head on the table.

"It's okay Asta, I don't blame you," Gordon said quietly, giving a little cough. "I knew you were contagious. However, you are my friend. And friends help each other, don't they?"

"I just wish you guys would get better so that I can fight all of you at once!" Luck said. "I'm bored!"

"I am trying my best to make all of us chicken noodle soup," Charmy said. "But, it's a little hard when you're slower than a slug…la…"

That's when Asta had an idea. He ran out of the guild, leaving everyone in silence, then he came back with a grocery bag.

"Holy shit, that was fast," Magna said.

"Asta?" Noelle asked as the boy filled a pot full of water. "What are you doing?"

"Since I got you sick," smiled Asta. "I should help you get better."

"I can still cook, la…" Charmy said, stumbling.

'You've done enough," Asta said. "I can do it! And I brought all of you some medicine too. Just take the dosage required and don't go overboard. I also brought tissues and herbs and stuff. I should have all of you back to normal in a day!"

"I wish," whimpered Finral. "That would be a miracle."

"Then I'll make it happen!" Asta grinned brightly. "All of you go back to your rooms. I'll take care of all you guys at once!"

Despite feeling unwell, the group was relieved to see Asta back to his old, energetic self. They didn't know what he was going to do, but at least he cared about them and was willing to make up for spreading his illness. Not arguing, they went into their rooms and waited for Asta to come for them. Surprisingly, Asta was true to his word. He visited each one of them, quickly zooming in and out to fulfill their needs. He was also able to make them soup. However, that soup turned out to be 'tato soup and tasted terrible. So, each one of them only asked for tea, which luckily Asta was able to get it right. What they didn't know was that Asta asked the help of Gray and Luck. Gray brewed the tea and Asta sent Luck on a hunt for chicken broth. Henry was close by, staying hidden in the shadows and instructing Asta on how to make chicken noodle soup. It was hard though, considering that he talked slow. It became a problem when the water was starting to boil over.

"Turn…down…" Henry said slowly.

"Yes?!" Asta whispered back, eying the boiling pot nervously.

"The…temp…er…a…ture…" finished Henry.

"Got it!" Asta shouted, forgetting to whisper for a second. "Now what?"

"Add…celery…carrots…bay leaves…and thyme…"

"The chicken is burning!"

When Luck came back with the chicken broth, Asta was able to make the soup and bring it to the Black Bulls. They thought they were going to die, but when they tasted it, they realized that it wasn't poisonous. Asta thanked Henry later, who gave him a thumbs up. Luck was bouncing around, desperate for something to do, so Asta challenged him by daring him to fetch thermometers from a nearby store. Luck was back within seconds.

"Can we fight now?" asked Luck.

"We'll fight when everyone is better!" Asta said. "I'll give you ten battles."

"Twenty battles," countered Luck, grinning.

"Fifteen battles!" Asta raged.

It went on and on, until Luck turned the tables on Asta with a trick he's seen Captain Yami use.

"Fifteen battles!" declared Luck.

"Twenty battles!" argued Asta.

"Fifteen and no more!"

"Twenty and no less!"

"I said fifteen battles!"

"I said twenty battles and that's final!"

The boy's eyes widened when he realized what had happened. He shouted how it was unfair, but what was done was done. He couldn't go back on his word. Ignoring the laugher from the little ball of lightning, he continued to nurse everyone back to health. He took temperatures, put cool clothes on their heads, added and took away blankets, and gave medicine. Vanessa was the most troublesome when it came to cough medicine. She wanted the whole bottle. Somehow in her feverish state, she thought that it was a bottle of beer. Asta had to pull it away before she gave up. He felt especially bad for Noelle, who slept most of the time and shivered in her sleep. When it came time to shut off the lights, he stared at her for a while, hoping that she would heal soon.

"I promise, Noelle…You'll get better," he thought. Then, another thought came to him "Wait, where's the Captain?"

Captain Yami coughed as he looked up at the moon. It was a calm night with a gentle breeze. The stars were shining brightly and the trees stood still as silhouettes amidst the twilight.

"Finral must be too sick to pick me up. I figured," he sighed and he took his cigarette out of his mouth. He sneezed loudly, making the birds in the woods fly away at the sound. He sniffled, "Looks like that stubborn brat got me sick too. Tsk! I should've known. He's always trouble."

He paused and he put the cigarette back in his mouth. He looked up at the moon and smiled, "But, he's family."

THE END


End file.
